Page 23 of His To Unravel
I force a laugh, but it sounds hollow even to my own ears. “I’ve just…been busy with classes. You know how it is.”
His eyes narrow slightly, a skeptical smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I know you’re dedicated to your studies, Olivia. But that’s not the whole story, is it?”
I swallow, looking away, feeling the heat of his attention burning into me. “It’s complicated,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.
He leans in and his hand rests lightly on my shoulder, his thumb barely brushing the skin above my collarbone. And just like that, my pulse spikes.
“Then let’s untangle it. Talk to me, Olivia.”
I take a shaky breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Nathaniel, I… I don’t think this—whatever this is—between us is realistic.”
He tilts his head, a crease forming between his brows. “Oh? And why is that?”
I struggle to put my thoughts into words, the insecurities I’ve kept buried suddenly clawing their way to the surface. “You’re…well, you. And I’m just…me. I don’t think I would fit in your world, not in a way that matters.”
Silence falls between us, thick and charged. His expression softens, his eyes harboring a shadow of understanding that makes me feel exposed, as though he can see past every wall I’ve tried to build.
“Is that what you really believe?” he asks, his voice steady but laced with something deeper that sends a shiver down my spine.
I nod, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
He reaches up, fingertips brushing against my cheek in a gesture so tender it makes my heart ache.
“Olivia,” he says, his tone firm but gentle, “you’re not just anyone to me, and I’m not going to let you walk away so easily.”
I want to believe him, to sink into the seeming sincerity of his words, but doubt clung to me, stubborn and unrelenting. “It’sjust… Everyone keeps saying that people like you don’t end up with…people like me.”
His jaw tightens and his eyes darken, frustration and something more possessive flashing across his face. “Then they don’t know you as well as they think. They don’t get to decide what you’re worth—or who you belong with.” He exhales slowly, like he’s reining something in. “You’ve let other people’s opinions sink in so deep, you don’t even question them anymore. But I see you, Olivia. And I don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks.”
I hesitate, searching his face, trying to find cracks in his sincerity, but there are none. He is calm, grounded, and the unwavering intensity in his gaze disarming me completely.
“What are you saying?” I ask, my voice barely audible.
He leans in closer, pressing his forehead to mine, his words a soft promise that sends warmth flooding through me. “I’m saying this isn’t some fleeting infatuation. You matter to me. And I’ll find ways to prove it—however long it takes.”
A shiver courses through me, his words wrapping around my heart and leaving me breathless, caught between exhilaration and fear.
He pulls back and searches my face, as if he’s expecting me to pull away. But I can’t.
“I won’t let you slip away, Olivia,” he murmurs, the quiet conviction in his voice sinking into me, each word deliberate and edged with a confidence that both comforts and unsettles me. “Not when all I want is to draw you closer.”
I open my mouth to respond, but the words won’t come, caught in the maelstrom of emotions that threaten to overwhelm me. All I can do is nod, my heart racing as I hold his gaze, my thoughts spiraling into a chaotic tangle of both longing and doubt.
And as I stand there, held captive by the intensity of his promise, I realize that whatever this is—it’s far from over.
NINE
nathaniel
Standingin the shadowed hallway outside Olivia’s classroom, I watch her.
She’s flustered, caught off guard. And yet, she doesn’t flee. I see the flush in her cheeks, the uncertainty in her gaze, and a sense of satisfaction threads through me. She feels something, even if she’s not ready to admit it yet.
The silence between us stretches, thick with tension, until—a sound breaks it.
Her stomach growls.
She shifts where she stands, clearly embarrassed.
